MODULE A
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
4534
9306
2043
2007
1740
4278
2476
9876
4534
9306
1550
3243
5649
4278
2476
3320
5339
2206
1550
3243
2810
2311
5570
3320
5339
9432
2945
6745
2810
2311
2433
5389
2165
9432
2945
1740
4453
2367
2433
5389
9306
2043
2007
1740
4453
2476
9876
4534
9306
2043
3243
5649
4278
2476
9876
5339
2206
1550
3243
5649
2311
5570
3320
5339
2206
2945
6745
2810
2311
5570
MODULE A
ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS’ GUIDE TO
AUDIENCE RESEARCH
STEP 1
Understanding the importance of audience research
What is audience research?
Audience research is the systematic collection and analysis of useful
information about an organisation to facilitate practical decision-making. It
is also known as ‘market research’.
There are four basic types of audience research:
Descriptive research — describes your audience and their
characteristics; for example, who are your current audiences, where do
they live, how old are they?
Analytical research — seeks to understand ‘how’ and ‘why’. What
motivates audiences? For example, why did they attend the first play of the
season, but none of the others?
Predictive research — considers ‘what if’ situations; for example,
what will happen if we change venues, or the name of our company?
Tracking research — long-term research that monitors changes
taking place over time; for example, how has the pattern for subscription
season ticket sales changed over the past three years?
We use audience research to:
– discover information about our audiences: who they are, their likes and
dislikes and their attendance patterns
– gather information about other arts and entertainment organisations, their
levels of success and the potential cross-over between their audiences
and our own.
Audience research helps us:
– manage organisations more effectively
– obtain information to plan budgets, fundraising and promotions
– prioritise spending on facilities and services
– understand current audiences and identify potential new audiences
– analyse past behaviour or predict future behaviour.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
1
MODULE A
Using Audience Research
EXAMPLE — Audience feedback, South Australia
South Australia is home to a number of small and medium performing arts
organisations. One organisation that focuses on multicultural audiences
has identified regular audience research as an essential component of
their activities. It has a direct influence on the programs they develop and
the way they promote their productions. The organisation uses a number
of formal and informal research techniques, including forums, focus groups,
workshops, e-newsletters, online bulletin boards and online discussions.
EXAMPLE — Youth audiences, Tasmania
In 1999-2000, two Tasmanian arts organisations initiated the Tasmanian
Youth Audience Development Strategy, which involved detailed research
of live performance attendance by 15–26 year olds. The results of the
research indicated that joint audience development projects would be
beneficial, especially if they included ’socialisation‘ offerings. A new
concept, LIVE, was developed by six participating arts organisations around
the theme You can’t beat a LIVE performance. It included a website,
membership discounts and the establishment of the LIVE lounge for pre
and post performance social activities, including live music and other
entertainment.
We are just a small organisation. Audience
research sounds complicated and expensive.
Any organisation can conduct effective audience research. While it would
be nice to have a huge budget to employ professional consultants to
prepare impressive reports, there are many practical things that small
organisations can do to provide useful information for decision-making.
It takes time to think about audience research, analyse your situation and
determine what types of research you can afford to do, bearing in mind the
time available, the skills that you, your staff or volunteers have, and your
budget.
There are many types of research to consider, either alone or in
partnership with others. Useful research may be as simple as having
the person who sells tickets ask everyone how they heard about a
performance, or where they live; or you may conduct surveys, run
discussion groups, or simply watch and keep track of what your audiences
do. For example, do they arrive early, walk around the foyer, make food
and beverage purchases, or arrive just in time to be seated? These simple
types of audience research can assist you in future planning and don’t
require a lot of time or money.
2
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
MODULE A
EXAMPLE — Using database information,
regional centre
The Performing Arts Centre of a major regional centre makes good use
of basic data it collects from ticket buyers. When bookings are made, the
booking system adds names, addresses (including postcodes), phone
numbers, and how tickets were purchased (phone, walk in, email, mailing
list) to a master file. In six-monthly intervals, IT staff analyse the data and
prepare a map that shows the audience spread for each program.
This information has been very useful for the Performing Arts Centre’s
marketing activities. For example, postcode analysis showed that the
catchment for country and western music programs was across the region,
while the Morning Melodies programs attracted more patrons from the
provincial centre itself. These findings influenced the advertising and
marketing programs for these events.
While your organisation can conduct its own audience research, it is
also useful to look at work that has been done by other organisations,
particularly the Australia Council and Arts Victoria. Spending some time
on the Internet (for example, <www.fuel4arts.com>), or talking to other
organisations about research they have conducted or reports they have
read, can be rewarding.
EXAMPLE — Small to Medium Performing Arts
Company Research, Arts Victoria
In 2002 Arts Victoria commissioned Woolcott Research to survey the
audiences of seven small to medium performing arts companies/venues in
Melbourne.
They collected information from more than 750 people on:
– their interest in, and attendance at, performing arts activities
– sources of awareness and reasons for attendance
– satisfaction with venues (comfort, booking systems, suitability to
performance)
– demographics (age, gender, occupation, income, area of residence, etc.)
The findings from the study were consistent with other studies of similar
audience groups.
Arts Victoria published and distributed a Fact Sheet that enables small to
medium performing arts organisations to compare their own data, or use
the information as a benchmark for further research.
For a copy of the Fact Sheet, visit the Arts Victoria website <www.arts.vic.
gov.au> or <www.fuel4arts.com>.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
3
MODULE A
So, what’s the bottom line? Why do I need
audience research?
Effective audience research can help you to:
– Identify opportunities — for example, how to attract a specific
target audience (such as school groups or tourists) or develop membership
or volunteer programs.
– Overcome obstacles — for example, misconceptions about
your organisation, performance times, difficulties booking tickets, lack of
knowledge about a performance, venue or location.
– Improve facilities — feedback from audiences and staff can help
you make decisions that will improve facilities.
– Improve profitability — audience research can help you plan
seasons and increase the effectiveness of advertising and promotions.
– Improve efficiency — audience research can help to identify
periods of peak demand and improve staff and volunteer scheduling.
– Understand your audiences — the more you know about
them, the more you can meet their needs and turn them into regular
attenders or subscribers. Who are they? How old are they? Where do they
live? What is their occupation? How much do they earn? What other things
do they like to do?
– Improve audience numbers — audience research can help
increase audience numbers by helping to identify potential partnership and
cross-promotion opportunities.
– Provide information to staff, government bodies
or boards — audience research can be a useful, impartial way
of presenting information to staff, funding authorities or boards of
management about services, facilities or future plans.
– Validate spending or seek funding — audience research
results can assist you when seeking approval for spending on capital
works, advertising or promotions, or for additional staff. Research can
effectively support applications for funding and sponsorship.
4
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
MODULE A
STEP 2
Defining your research problem
How do I start?
Effective audience research is focused and practical. It does not involve
collecting information ‘just for information’s sake’— or collecting huge
amounts across many topics.
The most useful place to start is to identify the key challenges or
problems that are facing your company right now. This is called defining
the research problem.
This does not mean deciding what results are required, but rather, being
clear about the reason for undertaking the research and the way in which
you will use the results.
The type of research you do depends on the type of problems your
organisation is facing. Generally, we use audience research to help us
make better decisions, review past activities, understand past mistakes and
identify missed opportunities.
EXAMPLE — Making effective use of research:
Red Stitch Theatre Company and The Store Room,
Melbourne
Red Stitch Theatre Company and The Store Room conducted audience
research to evaluate the effectiveness of a joint subscription season they
introduced in 2004. Each organisation conducted separate audience research
as part of the project. Research covered the number of people who took up
the joint subscription offer, the number of performances they attended, their
level of satisfaction with the offer and intention to subscribe again.
As a result of the research, the organisations decided to continue some
joint promotions and to promote each other’s seasons in their respective
brochures. However they decided to sell their subscriptions separately.
There are three elements to defining the research problem:
1. Defining the marketing problem — identifying the marketing issue the
organisation faces; for example, a downturn in attendances leading to
declining revenue or an increase in late bookings leading to advance
planning difficulties.
2. Defining the research question — restating the marketing problem
in research terms. Why are audience numbers declining and existing
audiences booking later and later?
3. Developing the research proposition — deciding what type of research to
do, and how it will provide an answer to the marketing problem.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
5
MODULE A
Defining the marketing problem and the research
question
Defining the marketing problem is an important step because we need to
fully understand the problem. It is generally a good idea to spend quite a
bit of time on this and to discuss it with others.
For example, the underlying reason for declining ticket sales might be the
company’s policy of giving out large quantities of complimentary tickets.
While this is effective in attracting new audiences, potential attenders may
have developed a ‘let’s wait and see if we get free tickets before we pay
for any’ attitude that has resulted in lower sales and later bookings.
On the other hand, the problem could be that the organisation has
changed its repertoire and existing audiences are confused about the
programs so they don’t go, or wait until they have heard good reports from
others before booking.
Consider all the things that may have changed and everything that could
be having an impact. For an organisation looking at attendances this could
include:
Logistics
– performance times and season
– venue comfort and accessibility
– ease of buying tickets
– ticket price
Promotion and reputation
– choice of advertising media
– quality, content and frequency of editorial coverage
– language and imagery used in promotions
– effectiveness of promotions in reaching target audience
– company reputation
– word of mouth
Product
– subject matter
– performance quality or style
– performers and creative team
Past experience
– lack of satisfaction with the company or with similar kinds of performances
in the past
External factors
– lack of time
– family commitments
– other priorities
6
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
MODULE A
EXAMPLE — Identifying the marketing problem and
the research question: Chunky Move, Melbourne
The marketing problem:
Chunky Move, a contemporary dance group, wanted to book more
performances in regional and country areas. They believed many young
people in non-metropolitan areas might enjoy contemporary dance if only
they knew about it.
The research question:
Chunky Move identified two audience research questions:
1. Why were some regional performing arts centres reluctant to book
contemporary dance programs into their venues?
2. Would young people in regional centres go to contemporary dance
performances if they were offered? This question was divided into two parts:
a. What types of activities do they participate in now?
b. Would they book tickets for contemporary dance?
Once Chunky Move had defined the marketing problem and the research
problem, it was possible to design and implement a research program. The
program included telephone surveys of performing arts centre managers
and focus groups of young people in key regional centres.
An important point about research is that you must be able to use results
to make decisions and changes. You should therefore restrict the things
you decide to research (called the variables) by eliminating those you
cannot change.
For example, discard questions about venue if your organisation is
committed to perform in only one location, or skip questions about
performance times if your schedule is locked in and cannot be changed.
There is also no point in undertaking research if the time and cost
involved are greater that the benefits that might come from the project.
For example, a suggestion is made to offer a ten percent seniors’ discount
during Seniors Week. You could undertake audience research to measure
older people’s interest, recruit interviewers and conduct the surveys at a
number of local shopping centres, then analyse the results, and prepare
the report. But it might be easier — and cheaper — to trial the discount
during Seniors Week and monitor the results.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
7
MODULE A
Developing the research proposition
The final stage of organising your audience research is determining
the type of research required to obtain the desired information . There
are many types of research options, so the more clearly you define the
problem, the easier it is to select the most effective research format.
The steps in developing the research proposition are:
1. Identify the problem.
2. Identify the potential causes of the problem.
3. Consider alternative actions that could solve the problem.
4. Identify existing information that can help solve the problem.
5. Identify what additional information you need to gather.
6. Consider any issues or constraints that impact on what you can and can’t
do or can and can’t change.
7. Decide how you will use the research results to solve the problem.
EXAMPLE — Developing the research proposition:
Bendigo Heritage and Arts Group, Victoria
1. Identify the problem.
The Bendigo Heritage and Arts Group initiated an audience development
project to increase visitation to Bendigo’s heritage, arts and cultural
attractions by people from the surrounding Central Victorian region.
2. Identify the potential causes of the problem.
Previous research had shown high levels of awareness of facilities that
didn’t necessarily translate into visitation. While surrounding communities
saw Bendigo as a key service centre, they did not make full use of the
cultural facilities available.
3. Consider alternative actions that could solve the problem.
A range of options was considered, including advertising campaigns, free
tickets, various options for ‘sampling’ arts products, and incentive programs
of various types. The final decision was to develop an incentive ‘invitation’,
which entitled people to discounts and free admissions but required them
to complete a basic questionnaire. Those who took up the offer were later
sent a more detailed survey.
4. Identify existing information that can help solve the problem.
Many of Bendigo’s heritage, arts and cultural attractions had collected
information about their audiences, and the special ‘invitation’ offers were
based on this knowledge. The group used existing electoral roles to
obtain names and addresses for a mailout to more than 20,000 regional
residents.
5. Identify what additional information you need to gather.
The survey attached to the ‘invitation’ gathered information on respondents’
frequency of visitation to Bendigo, when and why they visited, and whether
or not they had attended any of the attractions previously. Information was
also gathered on the number of ‘invitations’ redeemed and the venues
visited. The supplementary questionnaire surveyed satisfaction with the
venue and intention to revisit.
8
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
MODULE A
6. Consider any issues or constraints that impact on what you can and can’t
do or change.
Not only did the project itself raise public awareness of Bendigo’s cultural
attractions, the information gathered provided insights on public attitudes
and reactions to the participating properties. For example, one outcome
was an indication that price, rather than distance, was a key barrier to
attendance.
7. Decide how you will use the research results to solve the problem.
The results indicated that some communities had higher levels of interest
and attendance than others. Since then, advertising campaigns and other
programs have targeted these specific areas; others programs have been
aimed at raising awareness across the region in general.
Once you have defined the marketing problem and the research problem, you
are ready to choose the most appropriate research methods for your project.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
9
MODULE A
STEP 3
Choosing the right kind of research for
your project
Two basic types of research
There are two types of research — informal and formal.
Informal research
At its most informal, this type of research involves members of your
organisation chatting with members of the audience or the general public
about the organisation and its activities. They may ask people for a moment
of their time, perhaps before or after a performance or when they are buying
tickets, to find out why they chose a particular performance, what they liked
or disliked about it, their expectations beforehand and so forth.
It sounds simple, and it is. The results can be worthwhile, as long as you
really take the time to listen objectively to what patrons say.
You might also do simple ‘point-of-sale’ research when people buy tickets.
Keep a checklist and ask simple questions, such as how the person heard
about the performance, their postcode, or whether this is the first time they
have attended a performance. Keeping track of the answers on an ongoing
basis can provide you with useful information.
As one marketing expert commented, this kind of information collection
is like lighting a candle: it provides a continuous stream of marketing
information to help you find the way. Sometimes, however, you need
to organise a formal research project, which is more like a flashbulb
illuminating a single specific marketing problem.
Formal research
The two major types of formal research are called primary and secondary
research.
Secondary research
Secondary research is research that has already been collected, either by your
own organisation or others. This could include research studies undertaken by
The Australia Council, State arts organisations and associations (such as the
Australian Performing Arts Centres Association).
Secondary research also includes information your organisation already
collects that can be used for audience research; for example, existing
records of the numbers of people attending performances, the number of
advance tickets sold, or the number of repeat subscribers.
There may be both internal and external sources of secondary information
available to you.
10
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
MODULE A
Conduct a review of the records your organisation holds. Often there is
useful data ready and waiting to be used. For example, box office sales
records may give you some of the following information:
Existing information
Advance ticket sales
What it tells you
– the best time to advertise
– when it is time to ‘panic’
Sales by price category (for
example, concession, student,
full etc.)
– who your customers are
Addresses of subscribers
– where your audience lives (which can
help you decide how to spend your
advertising dollars)
– when your customer mix changes
– where untapped audiences live
There is a lot of research conducted by other organisations that is publicly
available. Secondary research is almost always cheaper to obtain and often
more comprehensive than an arts organisation could afford to undertake
on its own.
Useful secondary data can come from sources like the Australian Bureau
of Statistics <www.abs.gov.au>, which collects general information through
the census, as well as specific studies on such things as the number of
people employed in the arts and the patterns of household spending on
arts and entertainment activities.
Local councils have information on the age and ethnicity of people living
in the community and many have conducted research on such things as
leisure activities, interests and attitudes of young people, and the needs of
older residents.
Search the Internet, especially arts-related websites such as <fuel4arts.
com>, or contact local council arts officers, the research department at
your State arts authority or the Australia Council.
International research can be of interest when considering such issues as
expanding markets, revising ticket prices, appealing to particular markets
(such as young people) or considering trends in taste and fashion.
There is a lot of information available, but you need to determine
its relevance to your organisation. This will depend on the kinds of
organisations involved in the research, the questions asked, how and when
they were asked, and the size and type of people included in the research.
Check the ‘methodology’ section of a report, as this usually contains this
basic information.
For example, there may be a very interesting report on the Internet about
how a well-known choral group in New York expanded their market.
However, if your community choral society operates in a small regional
centre, you will need to carefully analyse how comparable the two groups
are and draw conclusions about the usefulness of the research.
On the other hand, a major study done in the UK on motivating teenagers
to attend classical music performances may contain information and
suggestions that are relevant for classical music companies in Australia.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
11
MODULE A
EXAMPLE — secondary research identifying
useful international information
The Vancouver Opera Company conducted audience research into
potential audience development opportunities within the Chinese,
Japanese, German and Italian communities. The results of the research
indicated that German and Italian audiences, because they were already
familiar with European music, would require relatively straightforward
marketing efforts. For the Chinese audiences, a slightly different
approach was required and implemented. First, the company established
relationships with Chinese community groups. Research within these
communities identified Madame Butterfly and Carmen as particular
favourites. Promotions and incentives to attend these operas achieved
positive results.
This approach has been studied by Australian organisations to apply to
their own multicultural communities.
Primary research — conducting your own
research
Primary research is original research carried out to answer a specific,
unique research question.
Primary research takes time and money and should be undertaken
only after you have looked at all the relevant and accessible secondary
research.
There are two types of primary research — quantitative and qualitative.
– Quantitative — think of this as ‘who’ and ‘what’ research. You need
to collect a lot of data to get useful information, so you need a ‘quantity’ of
responses.
Quantitative research counts the number of people who behave in certain
ways or hold certain attitudes. Often, quantitative research is conducted
using questionnaires or surveys. It is perhaps the easiest research method
for small to medium performing arts companies to conduct without
specialist help. In Module C (the DIY Audience Research Questionnaire)
we look at quantitative research in more detail and give you a research tool
that allows you to do this type of research independently.
– Qualitative — think of this as ‘why’ research. You need to spend time
with each person understanding ‘how’ and ‘why’ they do things or make
decisions. It is the ‘quality’ of each interview that is important.
Qualitative research explores how people think or behave, and why. Usually,
information is obtained through discussion, often in in-depth interviews or
focus groups. Because the discussion depends on the interaction between
a leader and the group, it is advisable to use experienced and well-briefed
researchers. In Module B we look at qualitative research in more detail.
12
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
MODULE A
STEP 4
Basic quantitative research
What is quantitative research?
Quantitative research (think of it as ‘quantity’ or ‘numbers’) counts the
number of people who do things and what they do. Often, quantitative
research is conducted using questionnaires.
The third component of this toolkit includes a DIY Audience Research
Questionnaire that has been especially designed for performing arts
organisations. In this section we will review the principles of quantitative
research and the issues you need to consider before starting a quantitative
research project.
Quantitative research is the easiest form of research for small to medium
sized performing arts companies.
Where do we start? Who? How? When? Where?
The who, how, when and where of your research project is governed by:
– your research objectives
– access to your target audience
– resources (the time and money you have available for the project)
– restrictions in terms of privacy, legal and ethical constraints
Let’s review the legal issues first. The Federal Government’s Privacy
Legislation is very clear about your obligations to treat the information you
gather with care. See the Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s website
<www.privacy.gov.au> for information sheets on the rules and regulations
governing privacy in Australia. Another good source of basic information
about privacy and research is the Roy Morgan Research site (<www.
roymorgan.com/company/privacy-statement.cfm>.
Basically, if you are collecting names, addresses or other information from
people, you must:
– state how their details will be used
– ask if they would or would not like to receive information from you in the future
– make personal questions such as income, age and occupation optional
– reassure them that their contact details and answers will not be forwarded
to any third party.
This can be done by including a disclaimer at the end of a survey or, if
you are conducting telephone surveys, giving a brief assurance at the
beginning of the conversation, such as:
Please be assured that the information and opinions you provide will be
kept confidential, and will only be used for research purposes. While we
would prefer that you answer all questions, if there is anything you would
prefer not to answer, that’s fine. Just let me know.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
13
MODULE A
Who will you survey?
This will depend on your research objectives. You may want to conduct
research with your existing audiences (or segments of that audience);
or you may want to survey past audience members (for example, lapsed
attenders or non-attenders). You might want to research new or potential
audiences, or you could be interested in competitors or other leisure or
recreational markets, such as pubs and clubs or festivals.
Once you have identified the group you want to research, you need to
locate them and develop a survey they will be willing to answer. It is
relatively easy to research current audiences, however if you are interested
in researching non-attenders, you could talk to other relevant arts
companies or venues about joint research.
A sample is the total number of people who complete the questionnaire or
interview. There are three types of samples:
Random sample — everyone has an equal chance of being
involved; for example, every third subscriber on the database.
Convenience sample — selecting a number of people where
the target audience gathers; for example, 50 interviews with people in the
foyer of the theatre before a performance. This is the most commonly used
technique. The reliability is increased if surveys are conducted over a range
of performances — weekdays, weekends or matinees.
Quota sample — where the interviewer is given a quota of different
types of people by such characteristics as age, gender, location etc. The
proportions are determined by reference to a census or other information
sources. A good example is if you want to find the opinions of a statewide
population, and one quarter live regionally, then one quarter of your sample
should come from the regions.
How many people do I need to interview?
For most purposes, a sample size of between 100 and 200 is sufficient.
However, if you want to examine sub-categories within the sample — such
as those aged under 30, or people from regional centres — analysis of
anything less than 50 responses in that sub-category should be treated
with caution. It may be better to conduct a quota sample for that subcategory (for example, 50 people under the age of 30 years).
Always keep in mind the number of completed surveys you require and
ensure you initiate enough to achieve that target. Use a 25 percent
response rate as your rule of thumb — if you want 100 completed surveys,
plan to contact at least 400 people (more for some types of surveys; see
the chart below).
Offering an incentive (free tickets, merchandise etc.) will often increase
the response rate, although it adds to your workload. It also removes the
anonymity of the survey as you need to collect names and details for the
prize to be awarded.
How do you conduct a survey?
The following chart documents different methods of collecting data.
14
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
Current, potential
and non-attenders
(outside other
venues)
Face-to-face
intercept
(interviewing at
theatre/onsite)
Current, potential
and non-attenders
Current, lapsed,
potential and nonattenders
Telephone
Face-to-face
appointment
Who
Method
Data collection methods
— Permission to use venues and locations
other than your own
— Identification
— Interviewers
— Questionnaire
— Interviewers
— Introduction script
— Questionnaire and computer to input data,
or space to write in answers to input into
computer later
— Access to telephones and quiet work area
— Up-to-date, accurate contact list
Resources Required
— Permission to use venues and locations
other than your own
At agreed
— Questionnaire
meeting place,
— Interviewers with identification and
for example, at
transport if travelling to respondents
their home, at the
— Interview space, services and facilities if
venue
interviewing on-site (coffee/tea/
seating, etc.)
At the entrance
or exit of venues,
in the foyer, on
the street, at
public transport
hubs
At home (do
not call people
at work). Call at
different times of
the day to get a
cross-section of
respondents
Where and when
— Security for interviewers visiting offsite locations
— Takes longer for each interview; more
organising and liaison
— Potential no-shows at agreed time
— Can use visual aids
— Can take more time, but can go into more detail
— Care needed to ensure you obtain a
representative sample
— Data needs to be transferred to
computer later
— Need trained interviewers
— People may be in a hurry, limited time,
short questionnaires
— Some people regard telephone surveys as
an intrusion
— Can be done quickly, results available quickly
— Allow six names for one completed interview
(600 names to get 100 completed surveys)
Considerations
MODULE A
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
15
16
Who
Current audiences
Current, lapsed
Method
Self-completion
questionnaire at
theatre or by post
Email
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
If sent to home,
Friday catches
people on the
weekend when
they may have
more time.
Office or home
Onsite,
questionnaires
distributed
before or after
performances or
during interval
Where and when
Data collection methods continued
— Easy to reach whole audience, difficult to
reach only particular segments
— Can be either completed immediately
and deposited in marked boxes, or taken
home and posted back using Reply Paid
(remember to budget for cost of returned
questionnaires)
— Bias towards Internet users
— Questionnaire needs to be well-designed
for online responses
— Generally low response rates
— Need up-to-date addresses
— May not be statistically representative –
certain people more likely to complete survey
than others
— People feel rushed or busy, may not take time
to complete
— Need to key responses into database;
minimise need for handwritten answers
— Inexpensive, if done in-house
Onsite returns are quick; postal returns
can be slow
— Can distribute large number
— People to distribute questionnaires
— Watch for discarded questionnaires
and littering
— Must be (and appear) easy to complete
Considerations
— Questionnaire and pencils or pens
Resources Required
MODULE A
MODULE A
Designing your questionnaire
Designing a good questionnaire is a big challenge. It should be simple in
appearance, flow smoothly from question to question and neither too long
or too short. Collect as many examples of questionnaires as you can. We
have included a DIY Audience Research Questionnaire in Module C.
A good questionnaire is:
Appropriate to the target audience. The language and
the length of the questionnaire must suit your target audience. A 20-page
survey distributed during the interval of a performance will not generate
a good response, nor will a survey of non-attenders that includes a lot
of technical terms. Consider the needs of children or adults, their level
of involvement with theatre, and those for whom English is a second
language.
Clear. Only one interpretation of a question should be possible and
the instructions should be easy to understand. Make sure the layout and
design are simple and that it is easy to complete.
The right length. The questionnaire should be appropriate for the
time available. If it is a telephone survey it should take about five minutes.
A theatre foyer survey should be shorter than a face-to-face interview by
appointment.
Tested. After you create the questionnaire, try it out on a number of
people to see how they react. Surveys almost always undergo a number of
drafts before the final result is achieved.
The questionnaires are filled in — now what?
Once the questionnaires have been completed, it is important to enter the
data on computer and analyse the results. You can do this in-house using
a simple spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel, or you can send
the data to a professional research or data processing company to prepare
the results on your behalf.
Module B of this toolkit will assist you with data processing, and the
DIY Audience Research Questionnaire that is included in Module C was
designed and tested to make the survey process easier for small to
medium sized organisations.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
17
MODULE A
STEP 5
Basic qualitative research
What is qualitative research?
Qualitative research usually involves smaller numbers of participants than
quantitative research, but requires spending more time with each one, and
going into greater detail (think ‘quality’ of interview rather than number). It
is useful when we want to know why people do things.
At its most informal, qualitative research means taking the time to talk to
people, asking them what they think (and really listening to the answers).
Talking to audience members, performers, staff and volunteers can provide
you with very useful information.
It can also be a good starting point for actually defining your research
problem and testing responses or reactions.
The people in your organisation who come into regular contact with
audiences, whether they be ushers, booking staff, or volunteers, often see
and hear a great deal. While this is not ‘scientific research’ it can provide
market intelligence that can be explored through more formal research.
There are two main types of formal qualitative research:
– focus groups
– one-on-one interviews
Focus groups are facilitator-moderated discussions with a targeted group
of people that are designed to find out how they think and why they
act the way they do. Organising a focus group may appear easy — let’s
just get a few people together and ask them some questions! But the
reality is more complex and difficult. Managing group dynamics, staying
totally impartial and not leading the group in a particular direction can be
challenging. Audience research organisations use trained professionals
who often have a psychology background as facilitators.
Focus groups are a very popular form of audience research in the arts, and
are useful as long as you approach the research project carefully and with
an understanding of the problems that can arise.
Direct one-on-one interviews can also appear quite straightforward, but
require skills on the part of the interviewer in terms of:
– managing situations and people
– getting the most from interviewees without revealing their (the
interviewer’s) personal opinions
– keeping interviewees on the subject without obvious interjection or
pressure.
18
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
MODULE A
Recruiting people to attend a focus group or
one-on-one interview
Focus group and interview participants are selected according to the target
audience specified for the research project. For example, individual target
audiences might include:
– regular theatre attenders
– patrons who have not renewed subscriptions
– young people
– people who have only attended one type of performance rather than the
full range of program offerings.
Sometimes (although the dynamics can be challenging) it is possible to
mix two types of participants, for example, people who subscribe and
people who don’t, but this is generally not advised.
There are a number of ways to recruit participants:
– When conducting a survey, include a question that asks if the subject is
willing to join a focus group. Follow up with an invitation to a focus group
or one-on-one interview
– Telephone people on your database and invite them to attend
– Approach professional audience research companies that specialise in
recruiting people for focus groups
– Approach volunteers or friends of your organisation
– Approach schools or universities.
Where and when will the focus groups or
interviews take place?
A typical focus group consists of eight to twelve participants; groups of
less than six may not yield satisfactory results. You should keep in mind
that people might not turn up, even when they say they will, and so over
cater on numbers. (I.e. recruit twelve people to ensure ten turn up).
Interviews should be held in convenient places and times. Locate a quiet,
comfortable room that contains a table sufficiently large for everyone to
sit at. Sessions are normally recorded to capture all relevant information.
Make sure that parking is readily available.
Remember that if people are giving up their time they probably expect
some reward. It might be refreshments (snacks and drinks), a nominal
payment or a special offer such as merchandise, vouchers or free tickets.
Be sure to include catering costs, room hire, tapes/recording equipment
and any participation incentives in your research budget.
Focus group discussions usually run for one to one and a half hours (the
maximum amount of time most people can sustain interest in a discussion).
One-on-one interviews are generally an hour or less.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
19
MODULE A
EXAMPLE — Using focus groups and surveys:
La Mama Theatre, Melbourne
La Mama Theatre was reviewing a number of issues in relation to its
programming. Working with a research company and funding from Arts
Victoria, two types of research were conducted — telephone surveys and
focus groups. Because La Mama has the names and phone numbers
of most of its ticket buyers, the researchers were able to contact them
directly to invite them to participate in a phone survey or focus group. La
Mama found the research valuable in helping them make decisions about
performance times; for example, they introduced earlier starting times
and matinees for senior citizens, and matinees for children’s programs.
They also received useful feedback about their program and constructive
criticism about the venue.
How is the focus group or interview conducted?
What role does the facilitator play?
Before the focus group session or interview, the facilitator creates a
discussion plan. This is done in consultation with the client, and outlines
the basic questions to be considered. The plan acts as a reminder to the
facilitator to make sure all the topics are covered. However, questions are
not asked and answered in a consecutive fashion. The idea is to introduce
a topic and, as much as possible, let the conversation go in whatever
direction the groups takes it.
The facilitator begins the session with an introduction, explaining how long
the interview will last, providing general information the participant(s) may
require, and assuring everyone that the discussion will remain confidential.
The assurance of confidentiality usually sets the group more at ease and
assists in getting the conversation flowing.
A skilled facilitator is essential. They must manage the conversation
flow, keep the group on the topics of interest, and avoid influencing the
discussion in a particular direction or implying that some participants are
on the ‘right track’ while others are not. Organisations often find that the
best facilitator is someone who knows the company well, but is not directly
involved in its management. They can keep the interview focused, but not
become personally involved.
If you plan to do a number of focus groups or interviews, try to use the
same facilitators throughout the process.
After the focus group sessions are completed, the facilitator prepares a
report based on the interviews, including excerpts that are particularly
relevant or interesting. The tape recordings of the sessions can be
managed in several ways. In some cases complete transcripts are
prepared, however this can be expensive and time-consuming. In other
cases, staff listen to the tapes, prepare comments and analyse what they
have heard. Generally, a combination of the two is useful. Take care to
ensure the privacy of those participating and check that reports do not
include information that could identify individuals.
20
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
MODULE A
EXAMPLE — Using the results of focus groups:
regional centres
As part of its Five Year Cultural Strategic Plan, a regional council wanted
to develop appropriate strategies to increase community involvement in
the arts. They conducted research as part of their audience development
program, including postal questionnaires and three focus groups. One
focus group comprised current arts attenders, and two comprised potential
arts attenders (respondents who indicated an interest in the arts although
they were not currently participating).
One of the interesting outcomes from the focus groups was that, while
current arts attenders wanted to experience wider involvement in the arts,
they also enjoyed the companionship and support of their peers and the
feeling of being part of a small, select group. On the other hand, potential
audiences away from the major regional centre felt many of the activities
that interested them were unavailable in their immediate area.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
21
MODULE A
STEP 6
Analysing your information
You’ve got a stack of surveys — now what?
Surveys and focus groups produce a lot of information. The next step is to
make sense of it all by undertaking detailed analysis.
Entering the data into a computer and analysing it can be the most
daunting part of research. There are two options:
– Process the information in-house
– Give it to an outside organisation to do the work on your behalf
Three factors should influence your decision:
– time available
– budget allocation
– in-house resources and skills
If you have plenty of time, you can process the information in-house using
one of a number of software programs available. However if there is a time
constraint, using an outside organisation will probably be faster.
Consider your project budget. If you have an adequate budget, there
can be advantages in hiring an outside organisation to do the work. If
you decide to do the work in-house, remember to allow for the cost of
appropriate computer software.
Finally, consider the resources and skills at your disposal. If you have
computer equipment and computer-savvy staff who have the time to
allocate to the project, then there are major advantages in doing it inhouse. On the other hand, if your organisation’s computer equipment is
limited, your staff get nervous around computers, or no-one feels confident
about taking on a new commitment of this kind, it might be wise to
consider outsourcing.
If you do not have the in-house capability to analyse survey data, ask for
help early on. Most organisations that perform data analysis prefer to
be involved from the survey design stage so they can ensure the data
is collected in the most useful way. They will advise on how to word
questions and categorise answers.
The advantages of the DIY Audience Research
Questionnaire
The DIY Audience Research Questionnaire in Module C was specifically
designed to take the stress out of this phase of research. It has been fully
tested, and collects information about such things as the demographic
profile of audiences, their patterns of attendance, interests, sources of
awareness, use of the Internet, etc.
22
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
MODULE A
EXAMPLE — The Warrnambool Entertainment
Centre, Victoria
The Warrnambool Entertainment Centre (WEC) was one of the
organisations involved in the pilot program for the DIY Audience Research
Questionnaire. It used the questionnaire to survey audiences during a
regional tour of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in October, 2004.
WEC’s marketing manager reported that the open-ended questions
provided useful comments that were incorporated into reports to the
Centre’s Advisory Board and to Council. Of particular interest were the
reasons given for attending the performance, and also the fact that five
percent of the audiences were from non-English-speaking backgrounds.
With increasing numbers of migrants settling in the community, WEC
intends to consider potential new audiences in future marketing activities.
Reviewing completed questionnaires
Before inputting data you may need to edit the questionnaires.
For example:
– Discard questionnaires that are clearly inaccurate. Not everyone takes
research seriously. If someone states he or she is a surgeon, but then ticks
a box that says they have completed only primary-level education, they
probably haven’t been totally honest in the rest of the survey either.
– Look at incomplete questionnaires. Assign a ‘no answer’ or ‘no response’
category to unanswered questions.
– If the questionnaire includes open-ended questions (the respondent is
asked to write an answer rather than selecting from pre-determined
options), group the responses into categories. For example, responses
such as couldn’t see properly, had trouble seeing the whole stage, and my
seat wasn’t good as I couldn’t see everything on the stage, could all be
grouped under the heading ‘poor sightlines’.
– Include an ‘other’ category for comments that do not occur frequently
enough to warrant their own category.
Analysing focus group data
Analysing focus group data is time-consuming, as you need to replay tapes
(or read transcriptions) to identify key themes or issues that arose during
the discussion.
Generally, the facilitator reviews the original discussion list and records
comments under each main heading, classifying information by topic
rather than when in the meeting the issue was discussed. For example, if a
group started out discussing the convenience of booking, then shifted its
focus to programming, back to problems with phone bookings, then onto
a particular performance before concluding with someone’s comments
about their experience paying with a credit card, the facilitator would
group together all the comments about bookings, regardless of when they
appeared in the general conversation.
It is a good idea to listen to tapes and transcribe them as soon as possible
after the session. That way it’s easier to remember things and to note
important points. If you are holding a number of focus groups in succession,
you may become muddled about who said what, and in which group.
Where possible, use quotes that represent key points in the report so that
the readers can ‘hear’ the respondents, not just read a summary of their
comments. Take care not to identify specific respondents in the final report.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
23
MODULE A
Allow enough time for analysis
Analysing research can be time-consuming. You need to collect and check
the questionnaires, prepare them for data entry, enter the data, then do the
calculations and interpretation. Maintaining the same questions each time
you do a survey makes it easier to compare results.
Most research uses a number of key techniques to analyse data. Consider
the following:
– relative frequency: the number (or percentage) of respondents who give a
particular response
– median: the mid-point, with half the respondents below this response and
half above
– mean: the average response
– mode: the most frequently occurring response.
EXAMPLE 1 – A sample question and response
data from the DIY Audience Research
Questionnaire (refer to Module C for the full DIY
questionnaire)
Q. How many times have you attended a performance by Company X in
the last 12 months?
Times attended in past 12 months
Number of respondents
%
Three times
15
11
Twice
35
25
Once
40
28
Never
50
36
Total
140
100
Median — the point at which there are as many answers
above as below
‘Once’
Mode — the most frequent response
‘Never’
EXAMPLE 2 — A sample question and response
data from the DIY Audience Research
Questionnaire
Q. Including this one, how many performances by this company have you
previously attended?
Answer
%
One
9
21
Two
16
36
Three to five
8
18
Six to ten
6
14
More than ten
5
11
44
100
Total
24
No. of respondents
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
MODULE A
The following chart illustrates the response data from the above question.
How many performances by this company have you previously attended?
40
One
Two
Three to five
Six to ten
More than ten
35
Percent %
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
You may also want to consider cross-tabulating results. This means
comparing information across questions; for example, analysing the ways
in which people obtain information by the frequency of their attendance;
looking at the age of subscribers in relation to the types of performances
they attend, or in terms of whether they attend matinees or evening
performances, on weekends or weekday evenings.
EXAMPLE OF CROSS TABULATION
Victorian Arts Audiences: Cross Attendance
People at these events
Who also attended these events
People
(,000)
% of
Victorian
Population
(adults)
Mainstream
Theatre
Small –
Medium
Theatre
Comedy
Contemporary
Dance
Mainstream Theatre
458
12.40%
–
31%
38%
16%
Small – Med. Theatre
266
7.20%
54%
–
48%
20%
Comedy
715
19.40%
24%
18%
–
8%
Contemp. Dance
210
5.70%
35%
26%
28%
–
Percentages indicate attenders at a given type of arts event (row headings)
who also attended other arts events (column headings). For example, 31%
of people who attended Mainstream Theatre events, also attended Small
– Medium Theatre events in the 12 months prior to the research.
This information was undertaken by Roy Morgan Research in early 1997
on behalf of Arts Victoria and the Arts Marketing Taskforce.
It is important to consider the size of the sample when analysing subcategories. If there are 100 survey respondents, but only eight of these
are under 30 years of age, there is insufficient data to make informed
decisions about the under 30 audience. A minimum of 50 responses in
any single category is required to perform detailed analysis.
The more complex you want the analysis to be, the more data you may
require, so try to keep the analysis simple and straightforward. If possible,
reuse some basic questions each time you do a survey so that you can
build up a detailed, comparable base of information.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
25
MODULE A
STEP 7
Writing your report
–
–
–
–
Before you begin writing your research report, consider who will read it:
How much do they need to know? (What level of detail do you need to provide?)
How much time will they have to read the report?
How much do they understand about audience research?
How will they use the results?
–
–
–
–
–
–
You may end up writing more than one report, or writing a major report, then
pulling out particular sections for different groups of people. You may decide
to prepare:
a detailed written report with an executive summary
a summary report, covering only the major findings and highlights
a talk or presentation
workshops or seminars
reports posted to your website
media releases
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
A typical format for a written report should include:
Executive summary — the highlights of the research
Introduction — the background to the research
Research objectives —what the research was intended to achieve
Methodology — the type of research, number of surveys conducted, when
and where the research was conducted
Results — the findings of the research
Summary and conclusions — the conclusions reached as a result of the
research
Implementation — how the research will be used by the organisation
Appendices — a copy of the survey and any other detailed information as required
Keep a copy of the detailed report on your computer so that you can
produce versions for sponsors, funding applications, your Board, annual
report, and as supporting information for other activities.
–
–
–
–
–
26
Some tips for writing the research report are:
Keep the audience for the presentation in mind. Don’t use technical terms
unless they will understand them
Arrange the results in logical order (usually the order in which you asked
the questions)
Use tables and charts and label them clearly, but try not to use too many
different types, as this can be confusing to the reader. Preface each
results table with the relevant question
Keep the main report as simple and straightforward as possible. Use
appendices for detailed information
Present the report in person to your Board and other key stakeholders so
that you can go through it with them and answer any questions.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
MODULE A
More about graphs, charts and tables
Various types of visual aids can be helpful when presenting research
results. The most common types are graphs, charts and tables. These
tools can make the data easier to understand, but don’t overdo the
amount of information in any one item so that it becomes difficult to read
or understand.
When preparing charts, graphs and tables:
– that feature colours or patterns, remember that people may photocopy your
report or print it in black and white, so make sure it’s clear in this format as well
– always provide a short written commentary to help people understand the
visual aid
– give each one a number and a heading
– write out the relevant question in full
– always state the size of the sample
– include non-response replies.
EXAMPLE of the use of a Table in a Report
Table 1. Attendance (list the tables in consecutive order and give each a name)
Question 1. Including this one, how many performances by this company
have you previously attended? (Write the question as it appeared in the
questionnaire.)
(Explain the category)
(Actual sample)
Attendances
Total
Percent
One
Two
Three to five
Six to ten
More than 10
No answer (include non-responses)
N = 136*
83
34
7
4
5
3
= 100%
61
25
5
3
4
2
TOTAL
136
100%
*N= the number of respondents. In this example 136 people answered the
question.
Accompanying text would read something like this;
As can be seen in Table 1, the majority of people surveyed were attending
their first performance by the company. About one-quarter (25 percent) of
the audience had attended one other performance and only four percent
of respondents had attended more than ten.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
27
MODULE A
The most common types of charts are:
Bar charts. These work well when reporting on scales (for example, Very
important to Not Important), or comparing audience segments or attitudes.
EXAMPLE of Bar Chart — Fuel4Arts monthly poll.
<www.fuel4arts.com>
Previous Poll on Audience research
How do you collect knowledge on your existing audiences?
30
Survey/focus groups 20%
Box Office 11%
Instinct/word of mouth 30%
All of the above 22%
None of the above – we need help 17%
Percent %
25
20
15
10
5
0
Pie charts. These work well when showing proportions of total audience.
EXAMPLE — Arts Victoria Arts Count
The performing arts sector, including venues, received around two-thirds of
State Government arts funding in 2000-01. Of the $20.6 million funding
for non-government performing arts organisations, venues received the
largest proportion (37%), followed by other performing arts (including
festivals) and music.
Arts Victoria performing arts funding 2000–01
Dance 8%
Music 18%
Drama 16%
Other performing arts 21%
Performing arts venues 37%
In 2000-01, Victorian-based arts organisations and artists received $10.5
million in Australia Council funding.
28
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
MODULE A
Line graphs. These work well when comparing results over time or
comparing the differences between categories or geographic areas.
EXAMPLE — Statistics Working Group, Australia’s
Culture No 9. Attendance at selected Cultural
Venues April 1999.
Where do they live?
People living in the six State capital cities had higher attendance rates
than people living in the remainder of the country for all venues and
activities, with the exception of other performing arts.
Art Gallery
Museum
Animal/marine parks
Botanic Garden
Library
Pop. Music
Classical Music
Theatre
Dance
Opera/Musical
Other Perf. Arts
Cinema
Capital city
Rest of State
20
40
60
80
Attendance rate (%)
The effective use of tables and other visual aids can also add impact to
any presentations you do. Use graphs and charts in Microsoft PowerPoint
or other programs, but don’t get carried away with graphics for the sake of
graphics.
EXAMPLE – Confusing graph
A confusing way to look at an analysis of arts audiences. This is not
recommended.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
29
MODULE A
STEP 8
Making the most of your research
You’ve finished the research and you’ve written the report. Now what?
There’s no point in doing research just for the sake of it. Research
engages people and makes them think about you and your organisation.
Participants gave their time and their input, as did the Board when they
approved the project and the staff and volunteers who conducted the
surveys and handled the data afterwards.
All these people have invested time and thought into your organisation, so
don’t let them down. Circulate the results of the research, together with
advice on what will happen next and what plans are in place as a result of it.
One of the reasons for doing research is that it provides you with
information about how people are feeling and reacting to your products
and services. If you asked respondents about their levels of comfort in
the theatre, but have no intention of doing anything about it, there was no
point in asking in the first place.
Schedule a meeting with relevant staff, Board members or volunteers
to review the research and discuss its implications. Highlight the main
results and discuss the issues that have arisen. What can you do with the
information? How can you make it work for your organisation? If there is a
lot of information, you may have to prioritise the results and deal with the
most important issues first.
Make enough copies of the report for everyone who needs to see
it. Send out media releases inviting additional comment or feedback.
Consider giving presentations to appropriate groups such as other arts
organisations, government arts groups, sponsors and, of course, your staff
and your Board.
What if the research has uncovered negative feedback or findings that you
feel are controversial or problematic? For relatively minor issues, consider
how you will report the results and try to create the most positive ‘spin’ you
can. Highlight the fact that negative information will assist the organisation
to change and to redress problems that have been identified. Acknowledge
the issues and affirm that the organisation’s reaction to them is positive.
If there are major problems you may decide that the document should
remain confidential, for the information of management and the Board
only. In that case, let people know the work has been completed and that
the Board is reviewing and addressing the issues. Such a scenario is
rare, however. Generally, research gives you the basis for making positive
announcements about new programs, facilities or services, or changes
and improvements to your existing activities. If the results are very positive
(everyone loves your work and what you do) then make the most of it by
sending out media releases and celebrating your success with the world.
30
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
MODULE A
EXAMPLE — Australia Council, Resourcing Dance:
An analysis of the subsidised Australian dance
sector
The Australia Council commissioned Positive Solutions to undertake a
review of the subsidised dance sector in 2003. When the research was
completed, the Australia Council circulated the report widely, sent out
media releases highlighting the findings and recommendations from
the report and made it available both in hard copy and on their website.
This ensured that the findings were widely circulated and that the arts
community, and the dance sector in particular, were well informed about
the project and had easy access to the report.
The important thing is to use research results to plan future activities
for your organisation. Regularly review activities and conduct follow-up
research to make sure the changes have been effective and the results
positive. The more research you do – and at regular intervals – the better
your database will be for benchmarking activities, customers’ likes and
dislikes and your ability to understand and promote to your audience.
The more you know about your audiences, the better you’ll be able to
assess their needs and match them to your organisation’s mission and
vision. This will lead to long-term success and effective use of resources.
EXAMPLE — Arts Victoria Co-operative Marketing
Case Studies
Between 2001–2003, Arts Victoria funded a range of joint Audience
Development and Marketing projects, involving 14 shires and over 30 arts
organisations. The projects focused on:
1. audience research
2. audience development and marketing initiatives
3. training and skills development in effective arts marketing.
Arts Victoria recognised the importance of disseminating the information
from the projects to a wider arts audience. The initiative was documented
as a set of case studies to enable others to benefit.
Each case study provides an overview of the project’s aims, research
objectives, timelines, methodology and results. There is also a summary
document outlining issues to be considered when undertaking audience
development projects. The case studies can be downloaded from
the Arts Victoria website at: <www.arts.vic.gov.au/arts/publications/
marketingcasestudies.htm>.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH MADE EASY
31